


Heaven and Earth

by NamelesslyNightlock



Series: Going Down Swinging [48]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Loki (Marvel), Blood, Confused Avengers, Desperation, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, Happy Ending, Healing, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, POV Outsider, POV Steve Rogers, Protective Loki (Marvel), Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23038657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: When Steve discovered that Tony was dating Loki, he was quite certain that it wouldn’t last very long.At least, hewas– right up until the day that Tony almost died.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Going Down Swinging [48]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1330490
Comments: 36
Kudos: 772





	Heaven and Earth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AeonTheDimensionalGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonTheDimensionalGirl/gifts).



> **AeonTheDimensionalGirl** sent me this idea god knows how long ago, and has been very patient ever since. I am sorry for the wait, and I hope you like it! ❤︎  
>   
>  **Prompt** — _“This is new.”_

When Steve discovered that Tony was dating Loki, he wasn’t exactly _surprised_. He was, however, completely sure that it wouldn’t last very long. After all, neither of them seemed the kind of person to want to be tied down, to commit to a long-term relationship. They were both too similar, too volatile– the whole team knew that they would be tearing into each other’s throats within a couple of months.

But… as it turned out, the pair actually seemed to know their limits, and didn’t try to push themselves where they could not go. Really, Steve thought, even using the word _dating_ was probably going a little too far to describe what sat between them. Tony and Loki were _sleeping_ together, that much was clear – even if they hadn’t been sharing the same bed for months, the visible marks that littered Tony’s skin more often than not were more than enough evidence of that – but the relationship stopped there, and they acted the same as they always had outside of their bedroom. (Which, really, everyone was thankful for.)

Honestly, Steve believed that it was for the best. It meant that there wouldn’t be any relationship problems to worry about that would affect the team– because Tony and Loki were clearly happy with whatever arrangement they had, and so long as there were no feelings involved, then the messy break up Steve had been worried about would never occur.

Yes, it was most definitely the best outcome he could have hoped for, at least insofar as he hoped for anything regarding the personal lives of his teammates. After all, they _were_ free to do as they wished.

And as time passed, it almost fell from his mind. Tony and Loki seemed no more a pair than, say, Tony and Bruce, and apart from the way Tony often looked in the mornings, it was easy to forget that he and Loki were sharing anything more than the same friendship (or disdain, in Loki’s case) that they shared with any other member of the team.

Or at least… it _was,_ until the day that Tony was nearly killed.

—

The Avengers had recently located a HYDRA base, and were flying out as a team to clear it. Tony had gone ahead, as he usually did– engaging the enemy before the rest of the team had even left the quinjet. There were HYDRA agents everywhere, scattered all through the warehouse. It was too obvious, too open.

They should have known it was a trap.

By the time the Avengers charged in through the doors, HYDRA had already activated the magnetic field generator to prevent Iron Man from being able to move, and were in the process of crushing a helpless Tony _inside_ his armour.

The Avengers all jumped into motion to begin taking out the generator, but even with all their combined strength, there was no way that they could have been fast enough. And as the magnetic field vanished with the destruction of the machine, Steve was the one closest to Tony, and he darted forward to catch him as he fell– but he knew that the damage was done.

JARVIS’ voice was ringing in Steve’s ears, frantically telling him that Tony couldn’t breathe.

The armour was damaged enough that Steve was able to tear it free, the immediate need for oxygen more dire than the worry of worsening wounds– and then Steve stared in horror at the sight of Tony’s broken form. There were gashes all over his body where broken pieces of metal had pierced the skin, blood already beginning to pool from too many open wounds to be able to stem.

And then, Loki _screamed_.

Steve looked up and stared in shock as Loki’s magic tore through the HYDRA agents– literally _tore_ , their bones cracking and skin tearing as Loki’s rage ripped the life from their bodies. Loki didn’t even appear to be concentrating on them– he raced from where he stood by the generator’s power source and fell to his knees at Tony’s side, pulling him into his arms.

Steve stayed on Tony’s other side, frozen, as Loki leaned over Tony and put his hands on Tony’s chest, his fingers already awash with the same emerald power which had just destroyed their enemies.

“You will not die on me, Anthony Stark,” Loki snarled. “You will _not_.”

This time, it was awe that filled Steve as he watched Loki work, pumping magic into Tony’s body with a determination that blazed in bright green eyes. It should have been impossible, Steve knew it– Loki and Thor had tried to explain magic to them many times, each with varying degrees of success. The only thing that seemed certain was that there were _rules_ about energy, about the amount that a person could achieve before overexerting himself– and healing at a rapid rate required far more energy than a single mage could possess, which was why Asgard always had so _many_ Aesir trained in the art of healing, even when seiðr itself was looked down upon when used in battle.

But Loki, it seemed, was pulling Tony back to health through the sheer force of his will and an immeasurable power that shouldn’t have been possible, a power Steve had never seen him use before.

Maybe… Loki _never_ had. 

After all, they do say that a person will go beyond every limit, push toward the unexplainable, move heaven and earth– in order to save a person they _love_.

Steve was still staring when Tony’s eyes flickered open, when he drew in a breath that did not sound pained. Loki threw himself over Tony then with a low cry, burying his head into Tony’s undamaged shoulder, his whole body trembling. Steve finally found the strength to move away, not wanting to intrude– but he still caught the edge of their words.

“Hey, Lokes,” Tony whispered, his voice as strong as ever as he reached up to stroke Loki’s hair. “I’m okay, you saved me—”

“Yes,” Loki said, his voice harsh. Then he shoved at Tony’s arm– not hard, not enough to injure or even bruise, but certainly enough to get his point across. “ _Never_ do that to me _again_ ,” Loki sobbed, every word punctuated with another shove. But Tony only held Loki closer, cradling him against his chest and pressing light kisses to every part of Loki that he could reach.

“I can’t make any promises,” Tony whispered– and when Loki whined, he added– “Except maybe to try my best?”

Loki nodded at that, curling even closer to Tony’s body. Perhaps it should have looked strange, a fully armoured god taking such comfort from a blood-spattered human, but Steve realised that… they just looked like two people trying to comfort each other after a terrible ordeal– because that’s what they _were_.

He heard the others moving closer, all of them pausing as they reached Steve’s side some ten yards from the entwined pair.

“This is new,” Clint said, his voice low. “Did anyone else know that they’re actually…”

“In love?” Thor asked. “I am surprised that none of you realised it.”

“Hang on,” said Clint. “No way was _Thor_ the only one who knew?”

“I knew they were sleeping together,” Steve muttered.

“We all knew that,” Natasha said, an eyeroll somehow evident in her tone even as she turned her gaze back to the couple who were still comforting each other with soft words and lingering touches. “But there was never any indication that there were… feelings involved.”

“My brother has never truly been one for showing affection where others can watch,” Thor explained. “When he does, you can be sure it is a manipulation. It’s the way he acts when he is alone with a person he cares about that proves true. I’m sure Tony knows a side to Loki that none of us could ever hope to see.”

The Avengers fell silent at that, all of them recognising some level of truth in Thor’s words. They’d all seen how different Loki acted while relaxing in the Tower compared to when they were in front of cameras, after all, and it made sense that his casual demeanour toward Tony fell away the moment that the pair were alone– or during moments like this, moments when there was little choice. In fact, Steve was surprised that Loki was still there.

As if Loki had the same thought as Steve, it was not a moment later that he and Tony disappeared in a shimmer of green, no doubt heading back to the penthouse to comfort each other in privacy. Steve did not blame them, not even when it meant the other Avengers would need to do the clean-up without the two members who were the most efficient at such things. They deserved that time to relax and just be themselves without worrying about prying eyes, especially after what they had just been through. If being alone is what it took for Loki to open up, then… Steve had no place to judge.

He _did_ plan to keep his eyes open though, because even just thinking back… he realised that Loki’s gaze would soften as he looked at Tony in a way that he didn’t at anyone else. Such a small thing, and yet relatively significant compared to the way that Loki acted toward everyone who wasn’t Tony.

Steve had read the situation entirely wrong, and after having witnessed Loki’s reaction to Tony’s injury, he knew that he had been wildly off the mark on more counts than just the one.

There was a whole lot more between Tony and Loki than a mere physical relationship, and… he had a feeling that they would be together for a long while yet.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AeonTheDimensionalGirl** 's prompt—
>
>> The Avengers dont take the Frostiron relationship seriously...until Tony gets badly hurt during a fight, and Loki leaves no survivors. They all proceed to watch mutely as the mage practically cradles with his lover in his arms with great care and for the first time they see their ex-enemy cry even as the injuries get healed with the help of some magic. They all (except Thor) thought it was a fling, they never thought how deep their love went.


End file.
